2016 United States Election

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Sanders running won't make a bit of difference to what Hillary Clinton says or does. He simply is too far on the margins, as a self-defined socialist. That being said, she's already scoped out her main issue being the gap between the richest Americans and everyone else. With an additional emphasis on women's issues.

There will almost certainly be at least one more mainstream challenger ready to take the mantle if the Clinton campaign implodes. The most talked about one is Martin O'Malley, the former Governor of Maryland.

[Primula Baggins]

I didn't mean to say he could control her positions. I just mean progressive positions would be aired in debates and speeches that the press had to cover, and Hillary might actually be asked about them. In general the press seems happy to deep-six progressive issues.

I was pleasantly surprised by the tone of populism in her opening video, and maybe she'll sustain it—I hope so, because that's the strongest advantage Democrats have. They need to send that message: no more business as usual, no more "more of the same." Which means Hillary has to make people believe she won't be "more of the same" herself.

[River]

Which means Hillary has to make people believe she won't be "more of the same" herself.

That's going to be the real trick for her, I fear.

[Primula Baggins]

Not if she's running against Jeb Bush. . . .

[Túrin Turambar]

According to FiveThirtyEight, Scott Walker is looking better in Iowa.

It is early days yet, but I suspect that Walker may be the electorally-strongest of the candidates preferred by the conservative wing of the GOP. He won the governorship of Wisconsin (three times in four years to boot), and there's a lot of electoral votes in swing states around the Great Lakes.

I also have to admit that, if he did win the nomination, it would be one of the greatest ironies of modern American political history, as his nation-wide profile and popularity with the Republican base is almost entirely due to the bungling attempts of the Wisconsin Democrats to remove him.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

He's also as dumb as a pounded thumb. But he has the backing of the Koch brothers, so he instantly becomes a big threat. I still can't see him winning, but that might be because I am delusional.

[Dave_LF]

David Koch Signals Support for Scott Walker

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Yesterday he came out against immigration. Not just undocumented immigrants, but legal immigrants as well. I almost hope he does win the GOP nomination.

[Inanna]

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Please bear with my typos & grammar mistakes. Sent from my iPhone - Palantirs make mistakes too.

[River]

[Primula Baggins]

Not only is he . . . not too intelligent, but he reportedly has little charisma. And undoubtedly a closet full of skeletons.

But he's been great at following the directions of the Koch Bros. in Wisconsin, so it's understandable that they'd like to see him get a promotion so he can do it to all of us.

[Dave_LF]

Does anyone remember the time shortly after he was elected governor when a talk-show host prank called him pretending to be one of the Kochs, and got a recording of his immediate, kowtowing deference? I wonder how that would play in the context of a national election...

[Primula Baggins]

We may find out. But I'm sort of doubting it. I get the impression that he's not "our sort" to the traditional large-donor wing of the Republican party, or the the Beltway press.

On the other hand, they're planning to spend $1 billion on the 2016 election, and last time much of that went more to attack Democrats than to support particular Republicans. Though it mostly didn't work. There is that pesky thing about every citizen over 18 getting a vote, and there being tens of millions more of them than of billionaires.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02 ... -wisconsin

[yovargas]

Catchy title....

[Dave_LF]

(spellcheck was right when it decided I misspelled "kowtowing," but wrong when it corrected it to "cow-towing" )

[Frelga]

Does cow towing happen a lot in Wisconsin? They are famous for their cheese...

[Primula Baggins]

I've certainly passed cow-towing trucks on the freeway in, like, Montana and Wyoming. Because you do not want to drive behind them.

[Beutlin]

So I am not American or anything but is it okay now to post videos where potential presidential candidates are called whores?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

To be honest, I did not notice that headline until yov noted it. Since it appears to be offensive to you, I will remove the videos.